Tue, 09/15/2015 - 10:20

KATRINA CLARK, Staff Reporter

This plan, designed by Danielle Betts of Knickerbocker Group, was picked by the Boothbay Harbor Selectmen for the area on Townsend Avenue formally occupied by the tennis courts.

After more than two years of discussions and planning, the former tennis court area will begin its transformation into a recreational park.

The Boothbay Harbor selectmen voted unanimously at their Sept. 14 meeting to authorize Town Manager Tom Woodin to begin work on the town-owned land, located at the intersection of Townsend Avenue and Emery Lane, using a design proposed by Danielle Betts of Knickerbocker Group.

At the most recent town meeting in May, $15,000 was approved for the gateway project. Woodin will use these funds to begin work on landscaping, parking area renovations, a picnic area, and two sport courts, one for pickleball and one for basketball. The basketball court will also be striped for two additional pickleball courts.

Vice Chairman Bill Hamblen, who made the motion to move forward, included a caveat in his motion that some of the land needed to be set aside to the creation of a structure or statue. He suggested that a task force of townspeople, working with the chamber, should be formed to decide what will go there.

The current design shows the pickleball court on the east side of the basketball court, closer to the road, but it may be moved to the west side to leave more room for such a statue.

Russ Hoffman seconded this motion, and it passed unanimously.

Selectman Wendy Wolf thanked Planning Board Chairman Mike Tomko and the Leightons, Terry and Don, for their input and dedication to the project.

Katrina Clark can be reached at 207-844-0168 or katrinaclark@boothbayregister.com.

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